Paper-clip.



No. 862,025. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907. G. A. $HIELDS.

PAPER CLIP. LPPLIOATIVOH FILED JUNE 16, 190B- vwzul'o-n ffl b W Z 07.);

Witnesses a. d. 6mm,

1m: NORRIS PETE-RS ca WASHINGTON, Bic.

CHARLES A. SHIELDS, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

PAPER-CLIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

A li ti fil d June 16,1906. Serial No. 322,052.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. SHIELDS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Paper-clips, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring clips or fasteners of that type in which the clip or fastener is made of a single piece of spring wire bent into form and designed for fastening sheets of paper or other materials, folded packages and similar articles.

The object of the invention is to provide a clip of this character which is bent in such form as to adapt it to be conveniently, rapidly and economically manufactured, which may be readily and easily applied without injury to the sheets of paper, which will securely clamp the sheets together without liability of tearing or wrinkling the sheets, and which by reason of its peculiar, yet simple, formation presents a greater number of clamping portions to insure a firmer grip upon the sheets of paper without rendering the clip unduly stiff and diflicult to manipulate.

In the accompanying drawing,-Figure 1 is a plan view of a clip or fastener embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the clip on an enlarged scale and illustrating its mode of application. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the clip. V

As shown in the drawing, the clip is formed of a single wire of a suitable size or gage, and comprises a head or cross bar 1 and cooperating clamping jaws 2 and 3. The head or cross bar 1, which is preferably straight and lies against or adjacent to the edges of the sheets to which the clip is applied, is formed by the central portion of the wire. At the ends of the head 1 the wire is turned or bent at right angles from one side of the head, as shown at 4, and is thence continued to form the clamping jaws. Each jaw comprises a pair of arms 5 and 6, the arms 5 of thejaws being formed by continuing the wire from the bends 4 in such a manner that the arms project convergently in opposite directions and cross at the point 7. At their outer or lower ends, the arms 5 are joined to the lower ends of the arms 6 by bending the wire outwardly, as illustrated at 8. The arms 5 extend obliquely to what may, for convenience, be called the central longitudinal line of the clip, 1,. e., a line intersecting the center of the head and crossing point of the arms 5, while the arms 6 project in parallel relation to each other and to such central longitudinal line of the clip and extend upwardly from the bends8 and terminate at their free ends adjacent the under side of the head or cross bar 1. By this arrangement, the arms 6 cross the arms 5 at the points 9, and each jaw is caused to have approximately the form of an isosceles triangle, one side of which is formed by the head or cross bar 1 common to both jaws. The bends 4 are offset or projected at an oblique angle to the bar 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, to throw the arms 5 out of direct alinement with said bar and to bring the arms 6 into alinement therewith, whereby the free ends of the said arms 6 normally lie in the spaces formed by the bends 4 and beneath the bar 1. By this arrangement, the free ends of the arms 6 are housed or shielded, thus preventing the projection of points or surfaces which are liable, in the operation of handling the clip, to injure the hands or tear the papers, clothes or other articles with which the clip comes in contact. The bends 4 and 8 impart a torsional twist to the wire, whereby the jaws are adapted by their spring action to grip the sheets of paper firmly between them.

In applying the clip, it is held in a plane at an angle to the sheets of paper, with the edges of the sheets lying in the angle at the point 7. When the clip is turned so that its front and back portions bear respectively upon the corresponding surfaces of the sheets of paper the resulting strain will open the clamping jaws and permit the clip to be pushed down upon the sheets until the edges thereof abut against the straight cross bar or head 1 between the bends 4 and lie snugly in the spaces formed by said' bends. When thus applied,the jaws will operate to press or clamp the sheets of paper against each other at the contact points 7 and 9, while the free ends of the jaws 6 will also hold the edges of the sheets against the bends 4. Hence, the sheets of paper will be clamped at a plurality of widely separated points, thus fastening the sheets firmly and securely together.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. A clip of the character described, comprising a single piece of wire bent to form a head or cross bar, thence bent to form short right-angled portions and continued to provide upon one side of said cross bar crossing primary arms projecting convergently continuously from their points of junction with said rightangled portions obliquely to the center line of the clip, and finally bent to form straight terminal arms extending parallel with the center line of the clip from the outer ends of the primary arms to the points of junction of said primary arms with the right-angled portions, the crossing point of the said primary arms being so arranged that the pairs of primary and terminal arms provide coiiperating jaws, each having approximately the form of an isosceles triangle, one side of which is formed by the head or cross bar common to both jaws.

the wire being offset at such points of junction tobring the ends of the terminal arms in the plane of the cross bar.

3. A clip comprisinga piece of spring wire bent to form a crbss 'bar" or ha d i an d jaws 2 and 3 connected with the cross bar by the offset bent portions 4, the jaws being formed by a continuation of the wire from the bends 4 to provide convergently arranged crossing arms 5-extending" obliqu ely'to the center line of'the clip and terminal armsfd, said arms 6 being arranged in parallel relation with each-other and with thecenter line of'the clip and extending across the upper ends of the arms 5 into the spaces' fo'rm'ed'by, the bends 4 below the head .1, the head and jaws forming the base and sides of a double triangular clip, substantially as described.

4. A clip of the character described comprising a single piece of wirebent to form a straight head orcross bar 1, thence bent to form short right-angular portions 4 at the ends of the bar, thence bent to form primary arms 5 projetting convergently in opposite directions and crossing at the point 7, whereby said arms extend obliquely to the center line of the clip from said right-angular portions 4, and finally bent outwardly and upwardly to produce straight terminal arms 6 extending parallel with the center line offthe; clip from the outer ends of the primary arms with their free ends crossing said primary arms adjacent'the points of junction of said primary arms with the right-angular portions 4 and lying on the inner sides of the latter. i a F x .In testimony whereof, .I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A'. smEnDs. I

Witnesses:

WILLIAM FLYNN, S. H. Howns. 

